
FOUR SERMONETTES 



on 



Prophecy Fullfilled 

in the 

Great European Conflict 

and Evan Roberts New Message to the World 
Illustrated 




Christ Weeping Over a City 



Four Sermonettes 

or 

Prophecy Fulfilled 

in the 

GREAT EUROPEAN CONFLICT 

and 
EVAN ROBERTS' 

NEW MESSAGE TO THE WORLD 



An Unusual Arrangements of Facts on the Fulfillment of 
Bible Prophecy, and Comments of Events that are Lead- 
ing to the SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. Also Intensely 
Interesting Accounts of the Great WELSH REVIVAL, as 
seen by the Author (who represented a London paper at 
these meetings) ; and Interesting Facts of Evan Roberts' 
New Message on the Present World Situation. 



By ALFRED SHELDRICK 
I LLUSTRATED 



Address all communications to: 

ALFRED SHELDRICK, East Northfield, Mass. 

Rrice 15 G&nta 

Copyrighted 1915 by Alfred Sheldrick 



i>- 







/$o, //-^ 



m IV 1915 - x^^^ 



INTRODUCTION. 



Has the gift of prophecy ceased? I hope to show 
in the four sermonettes here produced that God is, and 
has been, shaping this old world. The whole Chris- 
tian church is aroused at the state of the world today. 
People are asking what is going to happen and what 
is going to be the end of it all. Preachers at confer- 
ences and pulpits all over the land are praying for 
some kind of vision to help in this crisis, here is a book 
full of them and if heeded will bring great blessings 
to the reader. 

In 1893 I first published my experiences in Europe. 
In these I plainly predicted what is taking place today. 
In my original book entitled ''Visions of the Future," 
published by the Christian Herald in London in 1893, 
I wrote the following ominous words: '7 saw in a 
vision in i88p the present German Emperor running 
up and down in front of a modern war vessel zvring- 
ing his hands and crying out in intense agony 'Oh, for 
another Bismarck and Moltke. From this and other 
visions in this hook it was deeply impressed upon my 
mind that there would soon he mighty zvars in Europe 
which will he the heginning of the great strife amongst 
the nations spoken of hy the Prophet Daniel, and John 
on the Island of Patmos," Could anything have come 

3 



more true? In 1889 Germany had not thought of a 
navy and it is the modern warships which has caused 
him to lose the sympathy of the whole world by his 
insuicidal submarine policy, and no doubt had he had 
such a diplomist as Bismarck he would never have ven- 
tured on such a foolhardy policy. This is only one of 
the many things I shall insert which has and zvill come 
true. The people generally seem to have fallen into a 
great stupor in looking at the Scriptural prophecies, as 
symbolical instead of literal. 

The reader will understand when reading my 
messages that they were given to me at a partkular 
t)me in my religious experience. 

I have written at full length on the Welsh revival 
in the third sermonette because Mr. Roberts has had 
two great messages to the world, the later one being 
oi great importance during the present world crisis, 
and I give a full account of a rapturous experience he 
had which resulted in that revival. My experiences 
were just the same, lasting 234 years, just as long as 
my physical strength would last, and instead of mine 
resultmg m a great revival, God gave me a great 
panorama viezv of events which must take place at the 
approachmg end of this age. 

As these experiences are of a startling nature I 
thmk the reader ought to know who I am. Durin- the 
past 10 years I have attended upwards of 70 revivals 
throughout the British Isles, Canada and United 
states, followmg respectively Dr. Torrey, Evan Rob- 

4 



erts, Gypsy Smith, and during the past five years 
*'Billy" Sunday's meetings, spreading the word of God 
everywhere and earnestly praying for the success of 
each revival. God has graciously opened the way for 
me to do this work without any effort on my part. 
One incident of how I have been directed might be in- 
teresting. Several years ago, when Dr. Scofield first 
brought out his famous Bible, I ''boomed" it greatly 
at the Bast Morthiicld Conferences, and the following 
year contemplated going into business at Boston. 
One night, however, I heard a voice speak in thunder- 
ous tones : ''Follow a certain evangelist with these 
(Scofield) Bibles." On the strength of this inspira- 
tion, I went six hundred miles, and when I saw the 
.evangelist whom I had been instructed to follow, he 
said: "Have you got this wonderful Bible?" (Produc- 
ing a Scofield). I said: "Yes, that is just what I have 
brought." He said : "Bring it along and I will speak 
of it for you." And he has done so ever since. 



Why did God instruct me to follow on with this 
particular Bible ; because no Bible containing notes 
ever gave such clear account of events which must im- 
mediately precede Christ's second coming. 

I might also add that previous to my following 
these great evangelists, for 26 years I held a respon- 
sible position in the general manager's office of one of 
the chief English railroad companies and retired on a 
pension at 45 years of age, through ill health, and later 

5 



spent several years as one of the staff of the Chris- 
tian Herald, both in England and America. 

May God giv.e His blessing to all who read this 
little book. 



AUTHOR. 





CHRIST WEEPING OVER A CITY 



FIRST SERMONETTE 



Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the 
prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee ; 
how often would I have gathered thy children to- 
gether, as a hen doth gather her brood, and ye zvonld 
not. Luke 13 .^4, 

This was a wonderful period in the history of our 
Saviour's life. He had by gradual degrees demon- 
strated God's love and power in a wonderful way. He 
had used strong language in denunciation of man's 
sins,: but as He reached the final part of His mission 
He began to unfold unto them some wonderful 
prophecies depicting the terrible way Satan would 
have hold upon the world, and the consequences 
thereof. He depicted that wonderful scene in the 
world's history of the appearance of the Bridegroom ; 
and of the five wise and five foolish Virgins, the sud- 
den rapture of the church, where two shall be work- 
ing in a field, one shall be taken and the other left, the 
terrible tribulation spoken of by Daniel; and then in 
deep compassion he uttered the ever memorable words 
of the text: "Oh, Jerusalem, thou that killest the 
prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee 
how often would I have gathered thy children to- 
gether, even as a hen, but ye would not." If it was 

7 



needful for Christ to weep tears in those days what 
must it be for Him to do so over the nations today? 
Surely the words of the Apostle Paul are coming true 
when speaking of the personal Antichrist that the 
world should wax worse and worse. 

He knew judgment would overtake wickedness, 
for **as a nation sows so shall she also reap." Thes,e 
terrible wars taking place are nothing but the Divine 
Judgment of God. Take England with her drink, 
opium and horseracing; France with her blatent in- 
fidelity ; Germany forgetting the days of the Reforma- 
tion, with her higher criticism professors attempting to 
kill the evangelical religion ; Russia and her great per- 
secution of the Jews; and Austria, who has for years 
practically shut her gates to the Protestant religion ; 
and this is simply the reward of the ''sowing" of the 
nations. 

My object in writing these sermonettes is to bring 
in my own experiences, and if my reader doubts for 
one moment whether it is true that Christ w,ept of old 
and that He is weeping today I insert the following, 
which was also confirmed in a remarkable way by a 
minister changing his text on the spur of the moment, 
which was nothing short of a miracle. 

The vision which I had of Christ weeping over a 
city was given to me when I was 21 years of age, and 
although I had been converted several years I had not 
yet received the baptism of the Holy Spirit But this 
vision made a very deep impression upon me and 

8 



caused me to seek and seek a full blessing from God, 
which was given me lO years after. 

In the vision, according to the picture, I saw 
Christ weeping over a city, His face buried in His 
hands. All at once He lifted one hand up and point- 
ing to the city bade me go and do all the good I could. 
The eflfect of this vision upon me, for days afterwards, 
was truly marvelous. I hardly knew whether I was in 
or out of the Spirit, and during the rapturous experi- 
ence I had for 2>^ years, referred to in the introduc- 
tion of this book, one day (about Wednesday in the 
week) the Devil began to tempt me by saying that the 
vision I had of Christ weeping over a city, lo years 
before, was all a myth ! a myth ! This temptation con- 
tinued until Saturday night, and whilst quietly resting 
in my sitting room, I prayed to God that He would 
help me to fight this temptation. I reached for my 
Bible and it opened at Job, first chapter, where Satan 
worshipped with the Sons of God. I thought : "It may 
be that God has allowed Satan to tempt me." All 
at once I felt a sudden inspiration from God and the 
following words were spoken to me quite plainly, but 
inaudibly: "Go to AUestree Primitive Methodist 
Church, tomorrow afternoon (Sunday)." Being three 
miles away, I began saying to myself: "I cannot get 
my dinner over and be there in time." But I got no 
peace, so I decided to go. When I got there I was 
startled when I heard the minister announce his text as 
follows: "He came near a city and wept over it." 
After the sermon I waited for the preacher outside and 



asked him why he preached that sermon. He was 
surprised and said: "I am glad you asked me that 
question, for when I got up to preach I had the notes 
spread out on the Bible before me for a totally dif- 
ferent sermon, but could not open my mouth. So I 
had to take the text you heard." Some would call this 
a coincidence, but I call it a miracle from God, which it 
surely was. 

How we should endeavor to live to lessen this 
compassion of Christ. 





10 




He was in the air waiting to receive His watching ones 
unto Himself 



SECOND SERMONETTE 



Then we which are alive and shall remain shall be 
caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the 
Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 
Wherefore comfort one another with these words. 
I Thes. 4:17-18. 

What a wonderful meeting this will be. There 
have been many great meetings and events. Those 
were wonderful events when Moses delivered the 
children of Israel from Egyptian bondage. Those 
were great meetings when Savonarola stirred Florence 
by his eloquent preaching. That was a wonderful 
meeting when Martin Luther delivered the Protes- 
tants over from the bondage of the Pope. And there 
have been many marvelous meetings when the crowds 
have been stirred by Wesley, Whitfield, Moody, etc.; 
but nothing will equal this meeting we are now con- 
sidering, viz. : "Christ to meet His Saints in the Air." 

I believe it will be the greatest phenomen in the 
world's history. "Two shall be working in a field. 
One shall be taken and the other left." 

This great meeting is to take place 3J^ years be- 
fore the end of this age, and the commencement of 

11 



the Millenium, where Christ will reign with His 
people for looo years. The Devil will be chained, and 
after that period he will he loosed for a short period. 
Then will the end come, when the books at the great 
White Throne will be opened and every man judged 
according to his works. Now most modern theoligists 
and evangelists agree about the rapture and the whole 
Millenium ; but what puzzles them is whether the mem- 
bers of the whole Christian church will be caught up, 
or those who are filled with the Spirit of God, or, in 
other words, have been baptized with the Spirit since 
they believed, and are living aggressive Christian lives 
— such as the Salvation Army, etc. ; or whether those 
Christians who are worldly will be left behind to en- 
dure the great tribulation which will be the greatest 
in the world's history (lasting 3^ years). This will 
have to be decided by every Christian for themselves 
through prayer. I have my own opinion from the 
same source, which is, that only those who are living 
extremely aggressive and sanctified lives, will be 
amongst the favored ones, to be caught up, and that 
therefore there will be many disappointments. The 
3^ years of tribulation is to be very terrible, many 
executed for the Word's sake, but those who die for 
the Lord during the tribulation period will be just as 
well off as those who are caught up believing they will 
immediately join those who have been translated, as 
John in Revelation says, writing of this period: "I 
saw a great multitude that no man could number." I 
said: "Who are these?" "These are they that came 
out of the great tribulation." This period will be also 

12 



a period of great salvation, which I shall show in the 
next sermonette. 

The picture I here present, most adequately ex- 
plains this great mystery spoken of by Paul, which is 
mentioned in my text. 

When this vision was given to me it seemed 
Christ was in the air as if waiting to catch his watch- 
ing ones unto Himself ; and an angel was by my side, 
which seemed to suggest that He would be always 
with me, through all trials and trouble, giving me di- 
rections and helping me to work out the meaning of 
these wonderful visions. Many things point to a 
speedy end. 





13 



■ R 


y^^H 



EVAN ROBERTS 



THIRD SERMONETTE 



Oh, Lord, I have heard Thy speech and was 
afraid : O, Lord, revive Thy work in the midst of the 
years, in the midst of the years make known, in wrath 
remember mercy. Habakkuk 3 :2. 

This was a very trying- period for the children of 
Israel. They had incurred the displeasure of God, who 
had been very good to them. He brought them out 
from Egyptian bondage, led them through the wilder- 
ness performing many miracles, and gave them great 
military victories. First He gave them Moses as 
commander, then a number of Judges, among whom 
was Samuel ; then they craved for a King, which re- 
quest God also granted and which was their undoing. 
Beginning with King Saul, there were a great number 
of Kings who mostly did evil in the sight of the Lord. 
And during this period, God raised up a number of 
prophets, for it was to render judgment against one of 
these wicked Kings that we first hear about the 
Prophet Elijah. No one seems to have known any- 
thing about his early career; but he appears to come 
stalking through the wilderness, uttering those never 
to be forgotten words to King Ahab: **As the Lord 
thy God liveth before whom I stand there shall be 
neither rain nor dew, for three and a half years." 

15 



What a wonderful period this term: Three and 
one-half years ! Every time it is spoken of in the Bible 
it is associated with terrible judgments. Daniel re- 
fers to it as the latter half of the final seven years' 
tribulation, and John, in Revelation, both as if to make 
no mistake, speaks of it as 42 months. And all three 
of these prophets, viz., Elijah, Daniel and John, each 
noted for their startling prophecies, dealt with God's 
anger ending the human race in physical suffering. 
Db we not also seem to hear the voice of the prophet 
Jeremiah, running up and down the streets of Jeru- 
salem, crying: ^'Return, return, oh, House of Israel!" 
And in the midst of these we see this grand old prophet 
Habakkuk upon his knees, praying that remarkable 
prayer : "Oh, Lord, I have heard Thy speech and was 
afraid. Revive Thy work, in the midst of the years 
make known, in wrath remember mercy." But not- 
withstanding all these warnings the children of Israel 
went on sinning until one night whilst engaged in a 
Bacchanalian revelry the enemy came and carried 
them away captive into Babylon. After a time God 
heard the prayer of these great prophets and sent a 
revival amongst them, Ezra and Nehemiah becoming 
their spiritual and military leaders. This was indeed 
a most remarkable revival. They had a prayer meet- 
ing, called by Ezra "a solemn assembly," lasting for a 
week. God graciously heard their cry and once again 
delivered them from their enemies. 

I want to show just as God gave a great spiritual 
awakening then so he can today. And I want also to 
show exactly, in answer to prayer, how God sent about 

16 



10 years ago a revival into the little principality of 
Wales, in the British Isles, the greatest in my opinion 
since the days of Christianity. I was present at that 
revival, and describe it just as I saw and understand it. 
It came about in a very simple way, as most of the 
great revivals do, and occurred as follows : An ordi- 
nary evangelist named Seth Joshua was going to hold 
a revival meeting; and before commencing thought he 
would call several friends together for prayer, in a 
lady's house. Amongst this little company was a man 
named Evan Roberts. Whilst at prayer, they heard 
the voice of God as a mighty rushing of the wind. 
The power came down with such force that it knocked 
Mr. Roberts to the floor. He was stiff and could not 
move. He said to the evangelist: "Seth, bend me, 
bend me!" He did so and Mr. Roberts got up in a 
prophet's power. He began living in a new world, 



seemg visions, etc. 



Wales, at this time, was in an awful backslidden 
condition. The churches were being sold because 
people would not attend. Mr. Roberts' mind was di- 
rected upon his home town (about 150 miles away) 
named Loughor. The young evangelist had a vision 
before his eyes continually of his once empty church 
being filled with his youthful contemporaries, being 
converted wholesale, and when he could stand it no 
longer, he went to his tutor, telling him of his visions. 
The teacher thought it might have arisen through 
physical weakness. But all at once these words came 
into the tutor's mind: "In the last days your young 

17 



men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream 
dreams." He said to Mr. Roberts: "Go! and God 
be with you." He accordingly went to his home, and 
when he saw the pastor of the church, and asked if he 
could have a revival, he was met with a rebuff. The 
preacher said : "Evan, you know they will not come." 
But Mr. Roberts said : "Let us have a meeting for the 
children"; for God had promised him there would be 
12 of these converted. The pastor ultimately agreed, 
and the 12 children were converted. The interest be- 
came so great that the grown up people asked permis- 
sion to come. Then came that great mysterious mag- 
netic power, which always accompanies a real awaken- 
ing. The church became crowded. They closed at 10 
o'clock ; then 11 ; then 12 ; and finally it had to be kept 
open until two in the morning; and at 10 o'clock the 
next morning, all the churches within a 10 miles radius 
would be filled with people under the deepest convic- 
tion. 



From this time, Wales became the centre of at- 
traction. It was in a cauldron of prayer and praise. 
The secular press began to notice it; and the "Cardiff 
Daily Mail" sent a reporter to Loughor to "write the 
movement down." But when the reporter got there 
he became converted, and instead of writing an article 
of criticism, he wrote one of praise. The editor, when 
he received the copy, also was converted ; and he 
spread the revival everywhere. Representatives began 
pouring in from England, America, India, Russia, 
France, Germany, and many other countries who were 

18 




Two of the disciples preaching from a wagon in a field 
typical of apostolic earnestness 



watching this wonderful movement, wondering where 
it was going to end. 

The prophet Isaiah predicted that "A nation shall 
be born in a day," and I never knew this so near ful- 
fillment. In six months nearly 100,000 colliers were 
brought into the kingdom and it became necessary for 
nearly 400 pastors to have their churches enlarged. 
Theatrical companies coming from London to Wales 
would wire back: ''Returning by the next train. 
Everybody at the revival meetings." The saloon 
keepers' receipts went down one half. Every back- 
slider in the Salvation Army was reclaimed and min- 
isters carried their sermons about in their pockets for 
six months unable to preach them; for when they at- 
tempted to preach the people would break out in 
prayer and praise. Many religious exploits were seen. 
This religious enthusiasm continued at "white heat" 
about six months; then it jumped to Korea, India and 
China. 

It has been asked many times what has become of 
the chief actor of this movement. It become patent to 
everyone that he could not keep up the strain of these 
midnight and early morning meetings. He became 
sick. I was at Liverpool when he broke down. All 
manner of nasty things began to be spread about him, 
*'that he was mad," etc. Can this be wondered at? 
Would Satan allow a man to go free who had done so 
much to injure his Kingdom. Here was a young man, 
a collier by trade and only 26 years of age, having the 
leading divines of the world at his feet, and who had 

19 



caused the world to stop and think ! I can fancy Satan 
saying to God, the same as he did about Job: ''Does 
this man serve Thee for naught? Let me try him." 
And he thrust him down with physical weakness. The 
young evangelist was brought down from the new 
world he had been living upon, to the ordinary plain. 
That rapturous experience ! that fascinating personal- 
ity ! which would enable him to lead the biggest sinner 
to Christ in five minutes, when brought face to face, 
left him. He no longer lived on the borders of the eter- 
nal kingdom, but had come down again to the ordinary 
religious experience of everyday life. And for lo 
years he has been leading a quiet Christian life, con- 
ducting prayer gatherings, etc. But suddenly, on 
October 15th, 19 14, the world was startled by a re- 
newal of his rapturous experience ! To go near him as 
before was to be in the immediate presence of God. 
Here he received another great message for the world, 
which is again stirring the British Isles. This time it is 
not to conduct a great revival, but has reference to 
another great meeting which will cause the greatest 
revival since the .early days of Christianity. 

His message to the world this time is the "Trans- 
lation of the Saints" without dying. Spoken of in my 
second sermonette. 

When Mr. Roberts received this great message he 
began looking into the Bible to see what it said about 
this subject, for he had thought little about it. He 
found many predictions : "Two men shall be working 
in a field, one shall be taken and the other left." "The 

20 



wise and foolish Virgins," etc., etc. Since this time 
events have occurred which point to the culmination of 
an .event of this kind, namely : the present world 
wars, etc. 

(I have referred to this revival at great length as 
I was present representing a London paper, so can 
speak first hand. — ) 

After this translation will occur one of the most 
wonderful revivals the world has ever seen. And I 
here insert a vision I had of this .extraordinary preach- 
ing which will take place during this period, and which 
was first published by me in 1893 : 

On May 15th, 1889, I had a great vision in which 
I saw two apostles preaching from a wagon in a field. 
I said to a friend who I thought was standing by my 
side, "Did you ever see such earnestness?" All at once 
I found myself in a room where I saw eight more of 
the apostles dressing, and putting their clothes on with 
tremendous rapidity as if to join the other two preach- 
ing in a field. I saw the Apostle Peter as I had seen 
him in pictures as plainly as I have ever seen anything 
in my life. All at once I found mys.elf at the door of 
another room, where I saw our Saviour engaged in an 
animated conversation with the Apostle John. My 
heart was at breaking point with joy. I wanted to tell 
Him how they were preaching outside. I thought: "He 
is too busy. He will not want to be interrupted ;" how- 
ever, I could stand it no longer ; I rushed up to Christ 
and told him how they were preaching in the field and 

21 



I remember how He turned around and rejoiced ex- 
ceedingly. This, in my opinion, will be the kind of 
preaching after the Translation of the Saints — what 
can stop it? Here is an event which is the greatest in 
the world's history. People, according to Scripture, 
know that the tribulation cannot last more than 3^ 
years. Churches will be too small to hold the people 
and therefore they will hold meetings in fields or any- 
where. They will court death at the hands of Anti- 
christ, who will be in supreme command, because they 
know death means to be immediately in the presence 
of Christ and those who have just been translated. 

May God bless the reading of an account of this 
great revival. I suppose there are very few large cities 
in the United States where I have not in some church 
given an account of this awakening and which has pro- 
duced many blessed results to those who heard it, the 
unanimous feeling being, as expressed by a minister at 
Colorado Springs after I had spoken in his church, 
said. "Thank God for this breath from Wales !" 




Then nations shall learn war no more. A [en -hall 
beat their swords into ])lo\vshares and their spears into 
])runino- hooks. Isaiah 2:4. 

The whole world seemed to be at war. All at 
once the stars began to fall, the heavens opened, and 
there appeared an innumerable company of angels with 
tiamin<r swords as if to destroy the enem^^ 



I believe by the operation of this vision the Beast 
(Antichrist) is destroyed at the Battle of Armagged- 
don or the smiting of the "Stone cut out without 
hands." Daniel 2 :35. 



FOURTH SERMONETTE 



And they that be wise shall shine as the bright- 
ness of the firmament, and they that turn many to 
righteousness, as the stars for ever and ever. Daniel 
12, verse 3. 

This is one of the most important passages in the 
Bible, as it deals with all time, rewards for Christian 
service, and the ultimate destiny of man. We find this 
closes Daniel's great career, as he held an important 
postion near to the King himself. He had reached the 
zenith of his Christian experience. He had defied the 
Imperial Edict, not to pray to God — which landed him 
in the Lion's Den; and then, as if to give one grand 
climax to it, he lifts the curtain and gives us a pano- 
rama of the world's future history, which is taking 
place this very day. When he saw these things, they 
made him faint and ask the question: "How long 
shall it be until the end of these wonders?" These 
revelations brought him into the immediate presence of 
God, as it also brought the Apostle John, on the Island 
of Patmos, when the angel was giving him confirma- 
tion of these very things, and brought both prophets 
into a great state of physical exhaustion. Daniel said, 
'T fainted" ; John, "I fell at His feet as one dead." 

23 



It is wonderful how many transition stages there 
are in the Christian Ufe. I give one of the extracts 
which appeared in my book in 1893, deaHng with my 
own experience. 

"0;j July 26, 1888, / retired to rest about 10 
o'clock. When I had been in bed a few minutes, I felt 
a marvelous power begin to descend. It seemed like 
ivaves of love and power piercing me through and 
through. My whole soul seemed to be transformed 
into a state of ecstacy; this mighty baptism lasted until 
2 o'clock in the morning, and had I not cried unto God 
to 'Stop! Stop!' I should have died in this state. 
After this it took me nearly a week to recover my 
strength. After this I had the same experience three 
times, but not with such thrilling effect. God hwws 
just how much the physical strength will bear.'' 

Following this great manifestation of God's 
Spirit, came the experience of the momentous things in 
these four sermonettes dealing with the present con- 
ditions of the world's history, which I trust who ever 
reads v/ill ponder over again and again, until they 
thoroughly understand everything. 

The prophet sums up the whole matter in the text 
I have taken. He implores us to live and watch. This 
verse of Scripture has proved a great inspiration to 
many. It w^as the Book of Daniel which first caused 
me to study prophecy. After I received the following 
vision of the stars falling, viz.: In October, 1888, I 
had a startling vision. I thought I saw the heavens 

U 



rolling, and the stars falling, then all at once the 
heavens seemed to open and there appeared an in- 
numerable company of angels descending with flaming 
swords as if to take the enemy by storm. It seemed to 
me the whole world was at war; this was one of the 
most wonderful visions I ever had, and whilst lying in 
bed the next morning praying for an explanation of 
it, there came the following words : "Read the eighth 
chapter of Daniel." Now I did not know the contents 
of this chapter, but found it was an exact explanation 
of the vision, where in the midst of the world's great- 
est chaos, wars, etc., the stars shall fall, accompanied 
by many angels with flaming swords, and this will end 
the present dispensation and thus usher in that glorious 
period known as the Millenium, when men shall beat 
their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into 
pruning hooks, and Satan will be bound for one thou- 
sand years, and the preaching of the Gospel will go 
forth with mighty energy. Through the great war at 
present waging, things seem to be coming this way. 
In my vision, *'The whole world seemed to be 
at war." These significant words were issued in my 
book in 1893. How true they are coming today, and 
yet this is nothing to what will take place when the 
Devil himself will be let loose for 3^^ years, after the 
translation of God's people who may be ready for that 
momentous event, which may occur at any moment. 

I have tried in these four sermonettes to place be- 
fore my readers a brief sketch of the things taught by 
the Bible, deahng with the firey time we are traveling 
through. I have tried to show that God speaks to His 

25 



people today as He did in ancient prophetical times. 
Why should He not do so? Is there any warrant in 
the Bible that the gift of prophecy has ceased ? Daniel 
in the very last chapter, from which this text is taken, 
says (ninth verse) : *'And He said go thy way, Daniel, 
for the words are closed up, and sealed, 'till the time of 
the end.' " Thus signifying that at the time of the 
end God would again bring vivid attention to these 
things. Again, the Apostle John, on the Island of 
Patmos, received exactly the same panoramic view of 
the end as did Daniel, as if to connect the New Testa- 
ment with the Old Testament, he says in the last chap- 
ter of Revelation, tenth verse: "And He saith unto 
me, 'Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book, 
for the time is at hand.' " 

In conclusion I would say that in these short ad- 
dresses I have endeavored to make plain the way con- 
cerning the present period of the world's history, as 
the Bible teaches it. I have tried to show that God has 
confirmed these writings in many ways, particularly by 
causing several ministers to change their texts on the 
spur of the moment, thus showing in this twentieth 
century He still directs the thoughts and understand- 
ing of his followers. I have spoken of "rapturous ex- 
periences", and would say that during the summer of 
1889, immediately following this great rapture, I de- 
termined to spend my summer vacation at a little place 
called Rothsay in Scotland, on a small island. Here I 
thought I would go and spend a week in close com- 
munion with God and prayer. I took a little note book 
with me and determined to reason all the great things 

26 



God had shown me and "Prove all things, hold fast 
that which is good." I arrived at this place on Saturday 
night fully equipped for this great week's consecra- 
tion. The next morning (Sunday) I went to a United 
Presbyterian Church and the minister took for his text 
"Prove all things, hold fast that which is good." I 
prayed a silent prayer, and said : "Lord, that is what 
I am here for." The same evening I went to another 
Presbyterian church and must confess I was startled 
when I heard the preacher announce his text, viz.: 
'Trove all things, hold fast that which is good." Now 
this island only contained 5,000 inhabitants, yet God 
was working on the minds of these two preachers that 
they could not help preaching the same sermon which 
corresponded with my week's intention. On Monday, 
I accidently met the minister who preached on Sunday 
morning, and said : "Sir, why did you preach that ser- 
mon yesterday?" He answered: "I am glad you 
asked me, for I was laboring in preparation of a totally 
different sermon until one o'clock on Sunday morn- 
ing. I could make no headway with it, and had to take 
the text you heard." Was this a coincidence? I say 
it was the Divine God directing these men what ser- 
mon they should preach as He will direct any true 
minister of the word of God, if he seeks His guidance. 

These are not the only striking instances where 
God confirmed His word to me by ministers changing 
their texts on the spur of the moment, but I have given 
sufficient instances to my readers to convince them, I 
trust. The pictures I have given in this book, just as 

27 



they were given to me, were dictated by me to an 
artist in London in 1892, will, I hope, be an inspira- 
tion, as they have inspired me many times. 

In conclusion I pray God that we may all be ready 
when the Bridegroom cometh to have on the wedding 
garment. 

The whole of the present and future tribulation 
and trouble amongst the nations hangs upon the illus- 
tration, ''Christ weeping over a city," and however 
much we may admire men like Mr. Carnegie and Mr. 
Bryan in their heroic work for peace the present 
world trouble cannot cease, but rather increase until in 
the midst of the chaos there will spring up some great 
Military Dictator and who will proclaim himself Anti- 
christ (I have dealt with this fully in my other books) 
and ultimately our own beloved country may be 
drawn into it from a humanitarian standpoint, and 
when the dividing of Turkey comes about, which must 
take place according to Biblical prophecy (for the 
Scripture cannot be broken) then the Balkan States 
will become embroiled and practically the whole world 
will be at war. 

I send this little book out with the confident as- 
surance that who ever helps forward by their prayers 
and assistance will he blessed by God. 

Subscriptions for helping to circulate these 
messages may be sent to A. Sheldrick, East Northfield, 
Mass. 

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